Method of and machine for making gauges and other articles



' AM 22 1924." m mos W. E. HOKE METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING GAUGES AND OTHER ARTICLES iiiii wE Pa: lil-llllll-l -llllli III I II HWURNEZ wmaram a noun, or en. nrs, nzssounr, assrenon re seem a n or new rum, is. r, a conronnrron or rmw eraser.

'EIEEHQD @E AND FGR MAKING @AUGEE AND @THJER AETICL.

\ Applicetionilled my a, 1919. semi at. scarlet.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM E. Hons,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Machines for Making Gauges and Other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of lapping gauge blocks or similar articles to produce identical sizes, and particular]. to

produce plane parallel opposite sur aces I separated from each other by an assigned dimension, with a high degree of accuracy. The method is in some respects similar to the methods set forth in my copending applications for method of making identical articles, Serial No.- 252,073, filed Aug. 30th, 1918, and for method of and machine for maklngv gauges and other articles, Serial -No. 289,591 filed April 12th, 1919. The invention further relates to a machine whereby the method may lee-practiced.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 have ilclustrated in diagrammatic form a machine embodying the mechanical features of the invent1on and. adapted for practicing the method. I have also presented further-xii agrams by which the method will be explained in detail. It will he understood, that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not tobe construed as defining or limitingqthe scope of the invention, the claims appended to this" specification being relied upon for-that purpose.

Of the drawing:

- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine adapted for carrying out my improved method.

- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the principal parts of the machine shown in Fig. l.

Figs. 3 and t are diagrammatic views further illustrating the method.

, The blocks to be lapped are first formed with the desired shape and'with a little more than the desired length, by any usual or preferred means. en they are to he used as gauges the blocks are hardened and otherwise suitably treated, but these preliminary stepsconstitute no art of the resent invention. After the. locks have en thus formed and'treated, they are then subected to a lapping operation or a series of lapping operations and are otherwise acted.

: i bed.

upon, in the manner to be My laps will be moved in circular aths.

Referring to Figsfl and 2 of the drawings', it will be? seen that the machine inrrnnr correludes two laps 1 and 2 of similarfsize and method for producing plane surfaces. The] adjacent surfaces of the two laps are suitably prepared and are charged with an abrasive such as fine emery. The character of the laps and of the abrasive may be varied as required. A number of similar blocks A-A are placed loetween the two laps 1 and 2, these blocks being preferably arranged in a circular series, as shown? For holding the blocks in proper relationship and torother purposes, as will be present- 1y described, there is provided a fiat plate or spider 5 preferably having suitable apertures 6 therein adapted to receive the respective blocks. 6 are larger than the blocks .so as to permit turning blocks and the spider.

The lower lap ,2 is supported on a table plate 8, the lap, and the plate being movlable horizontally. The blocks A-A rest upon the lower lap 2 and the upper lap l rests directly upon the blocks. The upper lap is free to move vertically and is Preferably the apertures or. rolling: movements between the" $0 '7 preferably by means of an intermediate also free to adjust itself as" to parallelism vi ed cranks 10 and 11 carried respective.

tee

ly by rotating spindles 12 and 13.. e era 10. enters an aperture in a plate la secured to the upper lap 1, and. the crank ll enters an'aperture in the aforesaid plate 8 secured to the lap 2. It will be seen that -when the two cranks are turned thtwo 1 kegs movements may he made in ependent of see each other by rotating the cranks at difierent speeds. It will be seen that when the era are thus rotated at difierent speeds the centers of the two laps are normally out of alinement with each other. Inasmuch as the spider 5 is held by the pins 9, 9, the blocks are prevented from partaking of the movements of the laps. Preferably, as shown, the laps are free to turn. about their central axes and the resistance to movement offered by the several blocks is such as to. cause the laps to turn slowly. Inasmuch as the apertures 6, 6 in the spider are somewhat larger than the blocks A-- i, the blocks are caused to roll slightly as the result of the movements of the laps, thus slowly turning on their individual axes.

The lappin movement is continuedpreferably unti'all of the blocks have been lapped and until the laps engage all of them equally. p 1

Then the lapping movement is stopped and the upper lap is removed, thus leavlng theblocks exposed. Certain blocks are then transferred in such away as to distribute any errors or variations in the respective lengths. It may ;be assumed that,'w1th' a group of blocks of slightly varying lengths, those at one part of the group will average longer than those at another part. Following this assumption it will be seen that the transferring must be such that the longer and shorter blocks will be comnnngled. In

. order that the longer and shorter blocks may be iiniformly distributed, the transferring is preferably eflected symmetrically.. If the blocks are arranged in a circular series, it is to be expected that the lengths of those at one side will have a greater average thanthe lengths of those at the other side. Inasmuch as the surfaces'of both laps are flat, the result is that some one or two of the blocks at one side. will have a maximum length and some one or-two'blocks diametrically opposite will have a minimum length. The blocks between will have lengths suc:

' cessively var iying from the maximum to the minimum.. he blocks at one side of the diametral line will have lengths greater than the average and those on the other side will have lengths less than the. average. The

transferring of the blocks to distribute the errors and equalize the lengths is preferably.

done by-moving alternate blocks or alternate groups of blocks to positionsdiametrically opposite; This places the longer blacks between the shorter ones.

For practicing the method in the preferred manner; the number of blocks in any one circular series, such as a to p, as shown in Fig. 3, should be amultiple of four and should be at least eight. By. way of example I- have shown sixteen blocks, but it will be understood that any desired multiple of four may be used. If it be assumed-for instance that the blocks at one side of a diametral line a:m have lengths greater than the average aid that theblocks at the other memos side of the line have lengths less than the average, then it will be seen that after the 'observed that inasmuch as the alternate blocks throughout the entire series .are transposed, the required alternate arrangement of longer and shorter blocks is secured irrespective of the position of the dividing line.

The blocks having been transferred as described, the top lap is restored to position and the lapping operation is'repeated. Obviously the laps will at first engage only the longer blocks, thus reducing their lengths. The lapping operation is continued preferably until the laps again engage all of the blocks. @bviously the blocks are more nearly uniform in length than before but there may still be some variation. Therefore alternate blocks are again transferred, as

before described, and the blocks are again tical lengths and with plane parallel end surfaces, the lapping operation is then continued to reduce the lengths to the desired predetermined, amount. If considerable additional lapping is required to secure the desired uniform length, it'may be preferable to continue the transferring of the blocks from time to time to avoid possible variation. The blocks may be measured .in

any desired way to ascertain when the predetermined lengths have been reached. Use may be madeof themethod set forth in my aforesaid application, but this method constitutes no part of my present invention and need not be here described.

What I claim is:

1. The method of reducing a number of similar blocks to produce parallel flat end faces and identical lengths, which consists I in arranging the several blocks between two opposed laps, permitting one of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, and bodily moving the laps independently of each other with respect to the blocks.

2. The method of reducing a number of faces and identical lengths, which consists similar blocks to produce parallel flat end; i

in arranging the several blocks between two opposed circular flat laps, permitting one of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, and bodily moving the laps with respect to the blocks in circular paths about a common axis with the centers of the laps normally out of alinement.

3. The method of reducing a number of similar blocks to produce parallel fiat end faces and identical lengths, which consists in arranging the several blocks between'two opposed circular fiat laps, permitting one of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, and bodily moving the laps with respect to the blocks in circular paths about a common axis at difierent speeds.

4. The method of reducing a number of similar blocks to produce parallelflat end faces and identical lengths, which consists in arranging the several blocks between two opposed circular fiat laps, permitting one of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, bodily movingthe laps with respect to the blocks in circular paths about a common axis with the centers of the laps nor-- mally out of alinement, and causing the laps to rotate about their centers.

5. The method of reducing a number of similar blocks to produce parallel fiat end faces and identical lengths, which consists in arranging the several blocks between two opposed circularflat laps, permitting one'of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, bodily moving the laps with respect to the blocks in circular paths about a common axis with the centers of the laps normally out of alinement, and causing the blocks to turn about their individual axes.

6. The method of reducing a number of similar blocks to produce parallel fiat end faces and identical lengths, which consists in arrangingthe several blocks between two opposed flat laps, permitting one of the laps to adjust itself with respect to the other in accordance with the lengths of the blocks, bodily moving the laps independently of each other with respect to the blocks, systematically transferring some of the blocks to distribute variations in length, and repeating the lapping and transferring operations alternately until identical lengths are obtained. 4

7. A lapping machine including in combination two opposed flat laps one of which is adapted to adjust itself as to parallelism with the other, means for holding a. group of blocks to be lapped in fixed positions between the laps, and means for bodily moving the laps with respect to the blocks each independently of the other.

8. A lapping machine including in combination two' opposed fiat laps one of which is adapted to adjust itself as to parallelism with the other, means for holding a group of. blocks to belapped in fixed positions between the laps, and means for bodily moving the laps with respect to the blocks each independently of the other in a circular path.

9. A lapping machine including in combination two opposed fiat laps one of which is adapted to adjust itself as to parallelism i wrLLmM a. mom. 

